Students Kayla Schnoop, left, and Jen Mosher chat in a classroom at Tech Valley High School Friday, June 6, 2014 in Rensselaer, N.Y. They both have summer jobs that were arranged in part by the school. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)

Students Kayla Schnoop, left, and Jen Mosher chat in a classroom at...

Image 5 of 6

Students Kayla Schnoop, left, and Jen Mosher chat in a classroom at Tech Valley High School Friday, June 6, 2014 in Rensselaer, N.Y. They both have summer jobs that were arranged in part by the school. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)

Students Kayla Schnoop, left, and Jen Mosher chat in a classroom at...

Image 6 of 6

Students Kayla Schnoop, left, and Jen Mosher sit in a classroom at Tech Valley High School Friday, June 6, 2014 in Rensselaer, N.Y. They both have summer jobs that were arranged in part by the school. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)

For Alana Nati, a senior at Colonie High School, finding a part-time job was as simple as filling out an application and completing a couple of interviews.

Nati has been working as a cashier at Menchie's Frozen Yogurt in Colonie — her first job — since last summer.

And as the economy recovers, more teens who once struggled to find summer jobs are also seeing more opportunities open up.

Whether it's a job that helps pay for college, or a volunteer position that provides them with skills and a chance to enhance their resume, summertime for many high school students is anything but relaxing. Some, like Nati, have worked throughout the year.

"I was working 31 hours last week. This week I'm working 18," Nati said. "It's kind of hard, but I do my homework after school and then come here pretty much every day."

As New York continues to see unemployment rates drop, teens are also expected to find more job openings.

Kevin Jack, state labor market analyst, said the state has seen growth over the last year in the industries that typically hire teens.

"The retail industry, leisure and hospitality and construction tend to account for most of the hiring, and over the past year, they've had very strong hiring gains," Jack said.

More Information

Nineteen-year-old Krystal Hogan has been working at Mr. Subb since she was 16, a job she found thanks to her older sister.

"My sister worked here when she was in her teens, so she had a little hook up for me," she said.

While the market's improving, the majority of teens don't have a summer job, and that number is growing as more students take volunteer positions, internships or enroll in advanced classes.

In 2000, about half — 52 percent — of teens 16 to 19 nationwide had a summer job, according to

But by 2012, fewer than one in three — just 30 percent — held a summer job.

Northeastern, using a model to predict summer employment rates for youths based on data from the first three months of the year, expects the share of youths with a job to fall to 28.4 percent.

As fewer students look for work, employers reportedly are seeking to fill more jobs.

Snagajob, a website aimed at helping workers find hourly jobs, recently surveyed employers about their summer hiring expectations. Jon Ridzon, public relations analyst at Snagajob, said the survey suggested that businesses expect to see fewer returning employees and more new teens.

"It speaks to the improving economy, because returning workers who are going into the same job summer in and summer out aren't exiting the workforce; they're seeking better, higher paying jobs," Ridzon said.

Ridzon said most of the teens who use Snagajob are finding jobs that rely on hourly workers, such as restaurants and retail outlets, because these types of jobs require less experience and skill. These types of jobs also more easily comply with state regulations on what work teens can do.

Maria D'Amelia, marketing manager at Stewart's Shops, said although 19 percent of Stewart's employees are younger than 20, it is limited in what positions it can hire teens for.

"We will have the occasional 16-year-old that we can hire, but then we have to limit their abilities and what they can do," D'Amelia said. "They won't be able to use the register to ring up a customer, in case that purchase is alcohol related, but they can help behind our (ice cream) cone counter."

Minors — those younger than 18 — must obtain a working certificate from their local public high school before they can start a job, according to New York Labor Department regulations.

Dave Semo, director of pupil services at Shaker High School, said while the school helps students acquire their working papers, it doesn't help them look for summer jobs. Semo said the school used to work with the town of Colonie to offer job readiness workshops to students, but the town cut funding for that program.

Semo said employers will occasionally contact the school when looking for student employees, and the school will put them in touch with students.

While many teens continue to look for summer jobs, John Challenger, CEO of Chicago-based outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, said teens are also looking for different summer options such as school programs, volunteer work and organized sports.

Tech Valley High School works with students to find summer opportunities, often volunteer, that help their academic careers.

Jenn Mosher, a sophomore at Tech Valley, said the school helped her land a volunteer position at Peaceful Acres Horses, a Schenectady County rehabilitation center for abused horses.

Kayla Schnoop, also a sophomore at Tech Valley, will be volunteering at the Hoosick Falls Youth Center this summer. Schnoop said the job will allow her to do more for the public than a typical summer job would.

"I hope to have more of an impact on my community, because the youth center does more for the community than just activities for the youth, so I'm hoping to help unite my community through this," she said.

And for those teens still seeking a summer job?

"As the unemployment rate is going down, some of the competition that teens face is moving up the food chain," Challenger said. "Generally, times are better for teens this summer than they were last summer."